I plunged into the public spotlight in a big way in 2009 when I appeared as an investor shark on ABC's "Shark Tank" TV show. However, my foray into big-time business ventures started well before that. I am the Founder and Chairman of As Seen On TV, Inc.(www.asseenontv.com) and also have been crowned the Ambassador of the As Seen On TV industry because I was one of the first entrepreneurs to embrace and perfect the "infomercial" that has since launched thousands of products and businesses -- including many of my own. The Original Jack LaLane Juicer, The Great Wok of China and Tony Little's Ab Isolator became household names after I gave them the 'As Seen On TV' treatment. The simple truth is that I know how to turn ideas into million-dollar products. I intend to use this blog to help other budding entrepreneurs strike gold by getting their products to market quickly, while avoiding the mistakes that doom many a good idea. I'll not only provide proven tips for business success, but I'll also pinpoint and explain crowdfunding and other extremely important business boosters.

Overcoming The Destructive Myth Of Work-Life Balance

Everyone knows the old saying, “if you don’t have your health, then you don’t have anything.”

But how many of us have ignored it, pulling back-to-back all-nighters or forgoing date night with our spouse for the sake of our careers?

Nearly everyone, I’d bet.

The reasoning is simple; usually it’s “oh, this is just a temporary thing, as soon as crunch time is over I’ll spend some time with my spouse/at the gym/with my kids to make up for it.”

And yet there always seems to be another crisis around the corner, waiting for us, making us hedge our promises again and again. It’s this conflict that has led to the myth of “work/life balance.” That’s what I want to talk about today.

The idea is that you can compartmentalize everything into either “work” activities (work, meetings, trips, conferences) or “life” activities (spending time with family, staying fit, eating right) and by doing so “have it all.” In practice, though, this theory falls apart.

Like most people I know, I used to struggle with staying healthy and fit despite long work hours. When you’re on the road 200 nights a year, it’s easy to let your health fall by the wayside. After all, who doesn’t want to get a beer with the guys instead of getting a good night’s rest after making the big deal?

What changed was that I realized that my health was affecting my business. Fitness is tied to the bottom line more powerfully than you’d think. That’s the problem with the “work/life balance;” work usually ends up coming first, neglecting life entirely. And when you neglect life, it comes back to bite you in the butt.

Debi Silber, health expert and the MojoCoach agrees.

“If your body isn’t healthy, it’s going to affect your self-image, your confidence, and the way that you appear to others. How can those things not affect your professional life?” asks Debi. “If you don’t feel confident or you hate how you look, it’s immediately obvious to everyone around you. How are you ever going to succeed in your career?”

The trouble is, it’s a tricky thing to measure. Most business expenses are pretty clear cut. Are your suppliers overcharging you? Is shipping too expensive? Is insurance or payroll driving your business under?

But the costs of not taking care of your physical and mental health are there, whether you notice them or not. Maybe you come across as haggard or unsure at an important business meeting. Maybe you oversleep and miss your flight to the annual conference. Maybe you’ll get passed over for promotion because you weren’t able to produce your best work on an important project.

These are the ways that people sabotage their careers without knowing that they’re doing it. The ironic thing is that this happens because they’re neglecting your health in the name of “working harder.”

“If your body isn’t healthy, the harder you work the less productive you will be. Inefficiency and ineffectiveness directly impacts your bottom line in a negative way.” said Debi. “It takes a tremendous amount of energy to build and grow a business. I know firsthand because I have 4 kids and 6 dogs…it’s a constant juggling act. There is never a perfect balance but I have seen clients make massive improvements personally and to their bottom line profitability.”

And it works both ways. “So many of my clients come to me after some sort of breakdown or failure in their lives. And we have to put things together again, building a life in which their body is cared for just as much as their career is.”

That’s the secret, and that’s how I’ve continued to be successful despite 200 days a year on the road and a hectic work schedule. I threw away the “work/life” balance years ago and haven’t looked back since. I’ve built a life where I get work done and stay healthy at the same time.

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